The invention relates to a trolley for use in transporting a boat and particularly to a trolley suitable for use in launching a small boat such as a sailing dinghy.
Hitherto trolleys for use in launching sailing dinghies have been, in effect, simplified versions of the road-going trolleys used for towing dinghies behind vehicles for transport over long distances. Such launching trolleys normally comprise a cradle, on which the boat sits, provided with widely spaced wheels and an elongate towbar/manipulating member. In use, the trolley, bearing the dinghy, is pulled down to the water's edge and into the water until the dinghy begins to float, whereupon the trolley must be pulled back out of the water and stored in a safe place ready for use in subsequently beaching the dinghy.
At least two people are required to carry out such a launching operation since one must remain with the dinghy while the other is recovering the launching trolley and returning it to land. The present invention sets out to provide a trolley suitable for transporting a boat, for example for launching purposes, which is simple and cheap to manufacture and which may be readily used by one person both for transporting the boat over short distances as well as launching the boat on to the water.